‘You are a friend of God’s’
Nine young men graduating from St. Joseph College Seminary this month got an early start on celebrating May 9 – trading in their college “house cassocks” for new black cassocks and birettas that mark their upcoming move to major seminary. Seven of the men earned undergraduate degrees from Belmont Abbey College. All nine men will continue their studies and priestly formation for the Diocese of Charlotte at two major seminaries: Joseph Yellico, Nicholas Kramer and Kolbe Murrey will study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Christopher Angermeyer, Anthony del Cid Lucero, Luke Martin, Noe Sifuentes, Andrew Templeton and James Tweed will study at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is the largest set of seminarians to graduate since the college seminary was founded in 2016.MOUNT HOLLY — The largest class to date graduated this month from St. Joseph College Seminary.Nine young men are moving on to major seminaries to continue their formation as future priests for the Diocese of Charlotte.
Seven of the nine men received undergraduate degrees from Belmont Abbey College May 15. They join the ranks of nine other men who have graduated from the college seminary – a total of 18 men in just five years.
Joseph Yellico, Nicholas Kramer and Kolbe Murrey will study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Christopher Angermeyer, Anthony del Cid Lucero, Luke Martin, Andrew Templeton and James Tweed are headed to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. Noe Sifuentes will take a pastoral year, assisting in campus ministry at Charlotte Catholic High School.
Established in 2016, St. Joseph College Seminary has been a magnet for young men wanting to discern the diocesan priesthood. Enrollment growth has been faster than the diocese had anticipated, from eight students in its first year to 27 this year.
The diocese fast-tracked construction on a permanent home for the college seminary in Mount Holly, after the rising number of seminarians quickly filled four houses the diocese temporarily acquired for the burgeoning program. The new building opened last September and can house up to 40 college seminarians.
The nine graduates spent only a year in the new building, but their formation over the past four years has been pivotal, they said.
“On a practical level, the establishment of St. Joseph College Seminary made going to seminary much more feasible,” noted Murrey. “Instead of traveling across country right after graduating high school, I have stayed in North Carolina and in the heart of the diocese. This has been a great blessing and given me a unified and focused first four years of seminary formation.”
In his homily for the graduates’ baccalaureate Mass, Father Matthew Kauth encouraged the nine young men to keep growing in their relationship with Christ.
“I think the greatest thing and compliment I can say to you in front of those who are here – in front of your brother seminarians and your families – is that (God) abides in you and you abide in Him, that you are a friend of God’s,” he said during the Mass, offered May 9 at St. Ann Church in Charlotte. “I don’t know of any title in the world that is more desirous to have, than to say someone is a friend of God’s.”
As its largest graduating class moves out, St. Joseph College Seminary is preparing to welcome another large incoming class next school year.
At least eight new men are expected to enroll this fall, joining 18 others who are continuing their studies.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Photos by SueAnn Howell
CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte is blessed with 45 men who are enrolled at three seminaries to study for the priesthood this fall.
To date, 24 men are enrolled to study at St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly. Sixteen men will study at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. Four men will study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. One man is taking a pastoral year.
Kolbe Murrey, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist Church in Tryon, is one of those studying at the college in Rome.
The Catholic News Herald recently asked Murrey to talk about his discernment process as a seminarian, to help people of the diocese get to know him:
CNH: When did you first hear the call to a vocation to the priesthood?
Murrey: I was always attracted to the priesthood even from a young age. It was not, however, until my high school years that I really began to deeply consider the call to priesthood. The calling came about very naturally since I had been an altar server since my first holy Communion in second grade. This consistent experience of being part of the sacred liturgy and near the priest as he celebrated the Mass slowly led toward a desire to pursue Christ in a more intense fashion. Joining seminary was the obvious course of action.
CNH: Who did you first talk to about your vocation?
Murrey: The people who most influenced me to join the seminary were definitely the good priests that I knew (and still know) and the young men I met at Quo Vadis Days who were also discerning the priesthood.
CNH: How did you go about discerning where you felt called to explore your possible vocation?
Murrey: Once I actually realized I needed to look into seminary, I went to visit the college seminary for a few days. This was a great help to my vocation because I was able to meet the other young men there and just spend time living the life for a day or two. During this time while I was gathering information and starting the application process, I started getting some consistent spiritual direction. This was a crucial part of my discernment before seminary, and remains important throughout my seminary formation. On a practical level, the establishment of St. Joseph College Seminary made going to seminary much more feasible. Instead of traveling across country right after graduating high school, I have stayed in North Carolina and in the heart of the diocese. This has been a great blessing and given me a unified and focused first four years of formation.
CNH: What advice do you have for a man discerning a call to the priesthood?
Murrey: The spiritual life can seem daunting – especially when you are in high school and you are given more and more responsibility, so make sure that you talk to your pastor and avail yourself of the sacraments of confession and the Holy Eucharist. Confession will clear out the obstacles in order to discern with a clear conscience, while the Holy Eucharist will bring you closer to Our Lord. Lastly, those things which have most helped me and continue to help me pursue Our Lord are a daily Holy Hour and the rosary. Before I joined the seminary, I spent a Holy Hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament once a week, as often as I could. This was a big help while discerning my vocation. However, now that I am in seminary, I have developed the habit of a daily Holy Hour with the Blessed Sacrament and a daily rosary. Now, perhaps this seems like too much for your current schedule, but if you can start doing this at least in part, Our Lord and Our Lady will lead you where you need to be and give you peace while discerning. Do not be afraid to pursue Our Lord with your whole heart. Do not be afraid to give your entire self to Mary. Do not be afraid – “noli timere”!
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter